POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – Powered by a four-goal opening half, the Vassar College women's soccer team cruised to a 7-0 victory over Bard College in Liberty League action on Wednesday on Gordon Field. The win moves the Brewers – now ranked #3 in the United Soccer Coaches Regional Rankings – to 5-2-1 overall and 2-0-0 in league action. The Raptors are now 2-6-1 with an 0-3 Liberty League mark.
The Brewers – who saw junior forward
Claire Karlin record a hat-trick - struck first in the opening half of action, taking the 1-0 advantage behind a strike from junior forward
Ariana Pjetri in the eighth minute. Off a long cross from the far side by classmate and fellow forward
Jacqueline Morrison dropped in near the right post, Pjetri got the angle and one-timed the ball in past the reach of the Bard keeper for what would prove to be the game-winner.
Senior captain and midfielder
Violet Munnelly made it a two-goal edge six minutes later, scoring on a penalty kick into the left corner. The Brewers then pushed their advantage to 3-0 at the 32nd minute mark. Senior defender
Isabel Leinenweber sent a cross in on a corner from the far side. The ball took a bounce in front of the goal as rookie forward
Riley McGrath was there to head it in.
Vassar made it a 4-0 margin in the 42nd minute as Karlin converted an outstanding pass from sophomore forward
Madison Bouggess on the far side, banking it in at the middle. The tally marked the first of Karlin for the game and the first of her career.
Following halftime, Karlin made it a five-goal (5-0) lead for the homestanding Brewers in the 57th minute. McGrath corralled the ball, sending a long pass up to Karlin. Battling a defender, the junior forward got the edge, curving right as she fired the ball into the corner of the net for her second of the game.
The Brewers converted once again in the 64th minute as rookie midfielder
Becca Rodriguez drilled a long shot in on goal the went just above the reach of Bard goalie Seymone Rosenburg, marking her first career collegiate goal scored and a 6-0 edge for the Brewers.
Vassar concluded the scoring in the 87th minute as Karlin notched the hat trick as her shot in on Rosenburg rolled loose behind the keeper and into the goal for the score.
Junior goalie
Teresa Zimmer earned the victory for the Brewers over the first 45 minutes of play. Sophomore
Julia Reigrut came on in the second half to preserve the shutout. Neither were forced to make as save as the Brewers outshot the Raptors by a 25-3 margin, including a 15-0 margin on goal.
Bard saw Rosenburg post eight stops in the loss.
Vassar returns to the pitch on Saturday when it travels to Union College for a 2pm Liberty League tilt in Schenectady. Bard is also in action on Saturday at 3pm, traveling to nationally-ranked William Smith in a league match-up.
